30 Things I’ve Learnt by 30

By Sherry El Kilany On Jul 31, 2014

As my 30th birthday approached and then went by, I was constantly ridden by panic about crossing over into another decade. I said goodbye to my 20s and looked my 30s in the face and took it like a man (woman)!

The thing is, they say your 30s are the best years of your life, you’ve come to terms with who you are, yet you still have that youthful exuberance. I’ll reassure you on one thing: Age is nothing but a number. I’d like to believe I still have the childish youthfulness of my 18-year-old self, but maybe with the knowledge of how to keep myself out of trouble.

As most people (younger I have to add) ask me what it’s like, here is the sage advice I can give that I’ve learnt over my mere 30 years on this planet.

Let me dispense this oh so great wisdom upon you now:

I’m not going to tell you not to care about what people think. Care, but know that at the end of the day, you have to do you and everyone else prying into your life is for their own vested interests. Period!
Life is fleeting. As you come to your late twenties/early thirties, you will have probably lost people close to you. The one piece of advice I have on this topic, as cliche as it may seem, is to honor every moment with anyone you care about. Living like your last breath is about to come may not be such a bad idea. Coming out of what could have been a fatal car crash, my understanding on how short our time is on this planet has been cemented. As you grow, you’ll see friends pass on and a part of them will be left behind with you as a reminder to enjoy every single day.
You can definitely love more than once in your life, but it is that first love, the one who stole your heart and had you up all night on the phone, ditching the world for them, that will forever haunt you for the rest of your life. Everyone and everything will always compare to them, be careful for they are the benchmark you will go back to in every relationship you have.
No matter how hard you try and fight it, the only thing that is constant is change. It took me a while to acclimate to this concept, but roll with the punches. A wise man once told me, “What’s the worst that’s going to happen?” and I’ve been living with that motto ever since.
Spend time with your parents. As a teenager or even someone in my early twenties, all I wanted to do was travel, spend time with friends and maybe even move away. But as I watch them get older, I wish I could go back in time and win back those lost days, hours and minutes.
Get a dog. It’s the one creature in this world that will give you unconditional love. Coming back from a bad day at work and getting all those kisses on the face will make even the coldest of hearts smile.
Do what makes you happy. Always putting everyone before you will only weigh you down. As you grow, you’ll find that most people are only looking out for themselves no matter how many times you put them before yourself, and this will only lead to disappointment. So put you and only the few people you consider your family first.
Dream! And dream BIG! The sense of fulfillment that comes with accomplishing your dreams is like no other! It may take a day, a year or five, but when it happens, you will feel untouchable!
Save! and when you’ve saved enough, travel with it. The most enriching life experiences come from visiting new cultures and countries. Recharge, come back and apply it to your life.
Be kind: Everyone is fighting a battle you don’t know about. Being an ass to the parking guy or the beggar who won’t stop tapping your window only makes you an A-hole. When it comes to your peers, it does not matter how good looking, educated, passionate or interesting someone is – it all means nothing without kindness.
I’ve learned by watching people closely, how we speak about others is usually how we feel about ourselves. In fact, our perception of the entire world echoes how you feel about your own life. Alter it if you don’t like it!
Work out. I was very active throughout my life up until my late twenties, then I got lazy. Before I turned 30, I came to the realization that my metabolism just wasn’t what it used to be. Starting to get fit before 30 and now a month into it is the best, most addictive decision I have ever made.
You’ll win some and you’ll lose some. Failure isn’t permanent, neither is being conned by partners. Everything is a learning experience that will push you to build something better and stronger.
Time is the best cure. It’ll cure heartache, worries and fights. I’ve told every friend who suffered from heartbreak: With every passing day, it just gets a little better.
Don’t let people intimidate you. For they, after all, are only just people like you and I.
Don’t worry so much. The drama we create in our day to day lives and those worries we blow up are the ones that pass like a breeze.
Be humble. Lose the ego, it’s one of the ugliest attributes a person can have. Always stay grounded, it’s the sexiest attribute a person can have.
Be open to new things. I’m usually an extremely picky person, but as I’ve been getting older, I’ve been trying to open myself to more possibilities that are outside of my comfort zone. Can’t lie – it’s hard, but worth it!
Stay true to your word. The most important attribute a person can have is keeping their word through the highs and lows of life. Be genuine and stick to anything you’ve given your word to.
Awareness is the best kind of freedom. Educate your mind, read, get involved in worldly matters. It will only show you how small our plights are in this world and make you a well rounded person when it comes to any debate.
You’re constantly changing. I remember the person I was at 18, 21 and even 28 – and I have to say I am a much better, more refined person than I was before.
Tequila is not your friend. Shots, shots, shots! At 30, your body just doesn’t recover the way it used to.
Karma. It’s your strongest friend. Let people’s shitty deeds bite them in the ass, don’t waste time on revenge.
A nice glass of wine at the end of a long week is just sometimes what you need. See how we moved away from tequila and started enjoying wine!
Have lots of makeup-free, messy-hair, comfy-clothes days. You deserve it. Whenever I can, I’m in my sweats with my hair up!
Everyone deserves a second chance. Well at least almost everyone, but don’t rule someone out because of a stupid mistake.
Gratitude: All day, every day, about everything. The fast track way to the best life ever!
Cheer for other people’s victories. Hating is for the weak, there is no reason why you can’t be successful, too. Empower each other instead of ripping each other apart.
Help those around you. Care about people. Guide them if you know a better way. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you. Love and kindness begets love and kindness. And so on and so forth.
I’m still trying to figure it all out. What works for me might not work for you (hell, sometimes it doesn’t even work for me).

WE SAID THIS: My life’s lessons may or may not help you, but just maybe you’ll learn something through me. Here’s to the next 30 years!